Method and system for producing multiple images in a single image plane using diffraction

Abstract

Methods create images viewable under different selected angles on optical storage devices and other photosensitive surfaces and optical storage devices with super-imposed images. Generally, a photosensitive surface is exposed with multiple diffraction patterns creating super-imposed images. These diffraction patterns create super-imposed images on the photosensitive surfaces, which can be read by either a human or a computer.

1. A method for forming images on a photosensitive substrate, the method comprising:
 exposing, solely by a single laser beam wavefront lacking interference information, a rotating photosensitive substrate a first time to form a plurality of first diffractive elements, wherein the plurality of first diffractive elements are spaced at a first distance per revolution, wherein the exposing is accomplished without the use of a beamsplitter or a reference beam, and wherein the exposing is accomplished with one laser beam impact point; 
 forming a first diffraction image comprising the plurality of first diffractive elements, wherein the first diffraction image can be viewed at a first angle; 
 exposing, solely by the single laser beam wavefront lacking interference information, the rotating photosensitive substrate a second time to form a plurality of second diffractive elements, wherein the plurality of second diffractive elements are spaced at a second distance per revolution; and 
 forming a second diffraction image comprising the plurality of second diffractive elements, wherein the second diffraction image can be viewed at a second angle different from the first angle. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a diffractive element of the plurality of first diffractive elements is non-uniform with respect to other first diffractive elements. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the first plurality of diffractive elements is formed by only one exposure to only one light wave. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the exposing is accomplished without the use of more than one laser beam. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first diffraction image is exposed to form at least one of a different depth or a different optical profile from the second diffraction image. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of first diffractive elements are exposed at a first range of depths, wherein the plurality of second diffractive elements are exposed at a second range of depths, and wherein the first range of depths is different than the second range of depths. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the second range of depths includes a depth of about 200 nm. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the non-uniformity is directed by information in a data file comprising a digital image, and wherein the plurality of diffractive elements produce a holographic effect using phase interference. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second set of diffractive elements is exposed to be superimposed on top of the first set of diffractive elements to create multiple holographic effects. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the data file contains recording information for both the first diffractive image and the second diffractive image. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first diffractive elements are non-uniform. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of second diffractive elements are non-uniform. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the exposing is performed by a laser beam which is not split between the laser beam source and the photosensitive substrate. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the exposing is performed by an unsplit laser beam. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one laser beam impact point comprises a size of about 0.3 microns. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the one laser beam impact point exposes one of the plurality of first diffractive elements at a time. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of first diffractive elements is pre-calculated individually and digitally recorded individually. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the exposing is performed utilizing single-beam hardware. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the exposing is performed by turning a laser on and off in the nanoseconds range. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of first diffractive elements are exposed one diffractive element at a time. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20 , wherein each one of the plurality of first diffractive elements corresponds to only one pixel of a digital image, and wherein the plurality of first diffractive elements collectively comprise a representation of the digital image. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the exposing the first time further comprises varying, responsive to information for each pixel in the digital image, the intensity of the laser. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the information is color information. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 1 , wherein, between the laser source and the photosensitive substrate, the laser beam does not contact an element intended to introduce interference information to the laser beam to be recorded by the laser beam. 
     
     
       25. An apparatus with multiple diffraction images, the apparatus comprising:
 a substrate; 
 a plurality of first diffractive elements coupled to the substrate, wherein the first diffractive elements are formed by exposing a rotating photosensitive substance on the substrate solely to a laser beam wavefront lacking interference information, wherein the exposing is accomplished without the use of a beamsplitter or a reference beam, wherein the exposing is accomplished with one laser beam impact point, and wherein the laser beam is configured to traverse the substrate at a first distance per revolution; and 
 a plurality of second diffractive elements coupled to the substrate, wherein the second diffractive elements are formed by exposing a rotating photosensitive substance on the substrate solely to the laser beam wavefront lacking interference information, wherein the exposing is accomplished without the use of a beamsplitter or a reference beam, wherein the exposing is accomplished with one laser beam impact point, wherein the laser beam is configured to traverse the substrate at a second distance per revolution different from the first distance, and wherein the first diffractive elements form a first diffraction image viewable at a first angle, and the second diffractive elements form a second diffraction image viewable at a second angle different from the first angle. 
 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the first diffraction image and the second diffraction image are viewable at distinct depths and at distinct angles. 
     
     
       27. A method for forming image labels, the method comprising:
 modulating, responsive to information associated with pixels of a digital image, the intensity of a laser beam wavefront, the laser beam wavefront lacking interference information; 
 exposing a rotating photosensitive substrate solely with the laser beam a first time to sequentially form a plurality of first diffractive elements on a surface of the photosensitive substrate, wherein the exposing is accomplished without the use of a beamsplitter or a reference beam, wherein the exposing is accomplished with one laser beam impact point, and wherein the laser beam is configured to traverse the substrate at a first distance per revolution; 
 exposing the rotating photosensitive substrate solely with the laser beam a second time to sequentially form a plurality of second diffractive elements on the surface of the photosensitive substrate, wherein the exposing is accomplished without the use of a beamsplitter or a reference beam, wherein the exposing is accomplished with one laser beam impact point, and wherein the laser beam is configured to traverse the substrate at a second distance per revolution different from the first distance; 
 forming a first diffraction image comprising the first diffractive elements, which can be viewed at a first angle; 
 forming a second diffraction image comprising the second diffractive elements, which can be viewed at a second angle; and 
 removing at least a portion of the substrate to form a label comprising at least a portion of the first diffractive elements and the second diffractive elements. 
 
     
     
       28. A method for forming a digital image on a photosensitive substrate, the method comprising:
 calculating a configuration for a plurality of diffractive elements, the plurality of diffractive elements configured to create a diffraction image corresponding to the digital image; 
 focusing, via an objective lens, a single laser beam wavefront lacking interference information onto one laser beam impact point on a rotating photosensitive substrate; 
 varying, responsive to recording information in the digital image, the intensity of the single laser beam wavefront in the nanoseconds range; and 
 exposing, solely by the single laser beam wavefront, the rotating photosensitive substrate to form the plurality of diffractive elements, 
 wherein at least one of the plurality of diffractive elements is non-uniform in depth, width, and height with respect to the other diffractive elements, 
 wherein the exposing is accomplished without the use of a beamsplitter or a reference beam, 
 wherein the single laser beam wavefront exposes one of the plurality of first diffractive elements at a time, 
 wherein each one of the plurality of diffractive elements corresponds to one pixel of the digital image, and 
 wherein, during the exposing, the single laser beam wavefront is translated radially with respect to the rotating photosensitive substrate. 
 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of diffractive elements form a spiral pattern. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 28 , wherein the non-uniformity is directed by information in a data file comprising the digital image, and
 wherein the plurality of diffractive elements produce a holographic effect using phase interference. 
 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 28 , further comprising exposing, solely by the single laser beam wavefront, the rotating photosensitive substrate to form a second plurality of diffractive elements, the second plurality of diffractive elements superimposed on top of the plurality of diffractive elements to create multiple holographic effects. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 30 , wherein the single laser beam wavefront is not split between the laser beam source and the photosensitive substrate,
 wherein the intensity of the single laser beam wavefront is varied in increments of the maximum single laser beam intensity divided by 2 to the power of the number of bits representing the color information, 
 wherein the one laser beam impact point comprises a size of about 0.3 microns, 
 wherein each of the plurality of first diffractive elements is pre-calculated individually and digitally recorded individually, and 
 wherein the single laser beam wavefront does not contain interference information intended for recordation in the photosensitive substrate.